Repair piece for automobile bodies

ABSTRACT

A repair piece for automobile bodies comprising a substantially thin plate of foldable material. The plate is folded upon itself along a folding line. A pivot tab is secured to one half of the plate. A rod for unfolding the other half and having a pair of lateral projections extends freely, through a hole located at the folding line, between the halves.

United States Patent [151 3,695,796 Schneider Oct. 3, 1972 [s41 REPAIR PIECE FOR AUTOMOBILE 1 References Cited BODIES UNITED STATES PATENTS [72] Inventor: Willy Schneid r, 74 u d Kinkem- 3,373,467 3/1968 Loughrey ..25/118 R P015, 8 Llege, gium 3,458,607 7/1969 Sullivan. et al ..25/118 R [22] Filed: June 1, 1970 Primary Examiner-H. A. Kilby, Jr. [211 APPI- 42,016 Attorney-Jacob 1.. Kollin [30] Foreign Application Priority Data [5 7] ABSTRACT May 30, 1969 Belgium ..733,9l7 A repair piece for automobile bodies comprising a substantially thin plate of foldablle material. The plate [52] US. Cl ..425/12, 249/139 is folded upon itself along a folding line. A pivot tab is [51] Int. Cl. ..B29h 5/04 secured to one half of the plate A rod for unfolding [58] Field of Search...l8/DIG. 36; 25/118 R; 425/12;

the other half and having a pair of lateral projections extends freely, through a hole located at the folding line, between the halves.

2 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEDncrs m2 way/M. 14.42

' ATTORNEY REPAIR PIECE FOR AUTOMOBILE BODIES The present invention relates to a method for repair ing damage occasioned by rust on automobile bodies.

It frequently happens that the sheet metal of automobile bodies deteriorates from rust until holes appear at certain points. At the present time we repair such damage by plugging the holes with mastic, and making use of all sorts of impractical tricks to make to mastic hold in the hole being plugged, since it is very difficult to reach the hidden face of the sheet.

According to the invention, we provide a method of repair which, while also using mastic for plugging holes, makes it possible to obtain a support for the mastic behind the hole. This method is characterized in that it consists in introducing, through the hole, a repair piece which appears in the form of a double plate equipped with means for unfolding it behind the hole and holding it in place, and in disposing mastic in the cavity made by the hole and the plate.

The invention also relates to the repair piece designed to embody the said method. Such a repair piece consists of a plate of a shape and size suitable for the hole to be plugged, provided with a folding axis in its center, a means for unfolding it, when it is folded on itself along the said axis, and a prehension means.

Other characteristics of the invention will appear in the description which follows, based on the drawing, attached by way of example only, in which we see in:

FIG. 1, a plan view of the working face of a repair piece according to the invention;

FIG. 2, a plan view of the same piece, but of the opposite face;

FIG. 3 to 6, four views in profile elevation of the repair method according to the invention at different stages.

A repair piece embodied according to the invention is constituted by a plate 1 which has in its center, a transverse axis 2 forming a hinge, in such a way that the plate may be folded on itself, that is to say that ele ments 1A and 1B of the plate, which are separated by the axis, may cover one another.

Element 1A of the plate bears, at the location of the axis 2, a prehension rod or tab 3, disposed in the plane of the plate and extending beyond element 1B.

In the hinge axis 2 there is an opening 4 through which is freely introduced a rod 5 which is also placed in the plane of the plate and extends beyond element 1B or element 1A, since it is mounted freely in opening 4. Rod 5 has, at its end which is on the reverse of the plate, two opposing lateral projections 6.

Such plates can be advantageously be mass produced in shapes and sizes suitable for the holes to be plugged. They are made of light alloy or plastic material.

A repair piece according to the invention is also advantageously made in the form of a dish on its working face, that is to say that the edges 7 are bent inward on the rod side.

another, and we hold, the two rods 3 and 5 (FIG. 12. We then pivot rod 3 in such a way that the element A of the plate with which it is associated also pivots and lies against the inner wall of the fender of the body, plugging up half of the hole (FIG. 4). We then cause rod 5 to pivot on its axis in opening 4, in such a way that projections 6 force element IE to pivot also, but in the other direction from the pivoting of the element 1A, in order to plug up the other half of the hole (FIG. 5

While keeping the plate in the latter position, we introduce mastic into the hole, which mastic will rest against the plate (FIG. 6 in which piece 1 is represented in section The solidarity of the repair is further reinforced because the mastic not only rests against the plate, but also introduces itself into the dish provided on the inner face of the said plate. The thickness of the layer of mastic, produced by the depth of the dish, greatly facilitates the rubbing-down, reinforces the solidity in view of the thickness in depth of the mastic, and makes the approaches of the repair more refractory to rust, if we just select a plate a little larger than the hole.

Thanks to the method and to the repair pieces according to the invention, it is possible to repair an automobile body damagedby rust in simple and reliable fashion.

I claim:

1. Repair piece for automobile bodies, comprising a substantially thin foldable plate assembly of a shape and size adapted to cover a hole in an automobile body on the interior surface of said body, to provide a base for a mastic with which to plug the hole, said plate being folded upon itself along a transverse and central axis and formed of a pair of half-elements, one of the half-elements including a pivot tab forming a portion of the edge and extending from the outer face of one of said half-elements, said plate assembly having a longitudinal opening situated along said transverse axis, a rod freely mounted in said opening and having one end extending inwardly of said half-elements, said rod having a pair of laterally extending projections on said one end for unfolding the other of said half-elements whereby upon insertion of said plate assembly through a body hole in folded condition, said pivot tab serves to position the half-element from which it extends with one-half of the hole against the inner wall of an automobile body, whereby upon axial pivoting of said rod in said opening, said projections will force the other of said half-elements to cover the other half of said hole.

2. Repair piece as claimed in claim 1 wherein said plate formed with a peripheral dish-like rim. 

1. Repair piece for automobile bodies, comprising a substantially thin foldable plate assembly of a shape and size adapted to cover a hole in an automobile body on the interior surface of said body, to provide a base for a mastic with which to plug the hole, said plate being folded upon itself along a transverse and central axis and formed of a pair of halfelements, one of the half-elements including a pivot tab forming a portion of the edge and extending from the outer face of one of said half-elements, said plate assembly having a longitudinal opening situated along said transverse axis, a rod freely mounted in said opening and having one end extending inwardly of said half-elements, said rod having a pair of laterally extending projections on said one end for unfolding the other of said halfelements whereby upon insertion of said plate assembly through a body hole in folded condition, said pivot tab serves to position the half-element from which it extends with one-half of the hole against the inner wall of an automobile body, whereby upon axial pivoting of said rod in said opening, said projections will force the other of said half-elements to cover the other half of said hole.
 2. Repair piece as claimed in claim 1 wherein said plate formed with a peripheral dish-like rim. 